What's Gas Got To Do With It?
Sick of high gas prices?
Relief might not be far down the road.
As Early Show national correspondent Hattie Kauffman reported Tuesday, the rush is on toward vehicles running on eco-friendly alternatives that would let you drive right past the gas station!
For instance, auto makers let the public test-drive hydrogen-fueled cars outside the California State Capitol Building in Sacramento -- and called them cars of the future.
Legislative Director Rosanna Carvacho told Kauffman, "I was really impressed with how smooth it was, and really quiet."
At first glance, Kauffman noted, the cars look like anything you might see on the road. But, under the hood, there's a world of difference.
"There is no exhaust, there is no heat generated," points out General Motors spokesman Shad Balch. "It is a complete electric vehicle powered by hydrogen fuel cell ... a true zero-emissions vehicle, which means the only thing coming out of the tailpipe is water vapor."
A handful of fuel cell cars are popping up in a few test markets, but it could be a decade before the infrastructure is built to
make them available to the general public, Kauffman says.
"They are coming," Catherine Dunwoody, executive director of the California Fuel Cell Partnership, assured Kauffman. "And they will provide tremendous benefits to not only the environment and our energy situation, but to customers."
In Boise, Idaho, Bob Schaeffer salvaged a car from the junk heap and converted it to electric.
It may be the best investment he's ever made, Kauffman observes.
"Every time I drive by the gas station, I laugh," Schaeffer remarked to her. "Sometimes, I roll down the window and laugh and wave. Ha-ha!"
He took the engine out of the car and put in golf cart batteries. He keeps them juiced with a simple plug.
"There's no maintenance costs," he raves. "No oil changes, air filters, oil filters, fan belts -- none of that ... and it costs about two-cents-a-mile to run."
It wouldn't even cost that much if you never had to plug in to charge your batteries.
That, says Kauffman, is John Webber's goal. His go-power comes from the sun.
And, Webber says, "You can stay up with speed with the rest of the cars."
The solar-powered electric car even derives power from the sun as it's used, Kauffman adds.
Solar panels on the car roof charge the batteries. Webber built it with the help of friends.
And as long as he uses it, buying gas is a thing of his past. "I haven't filled it up yet in two years!" he says. "It feels pretty good (to use green-fuel only), especially since you have a few extra dollars in your wallet," Webber adds.
He's getting advice from an expert on solar energy, Dave Brueggeman who asserts, "Solar is the answer. There's nothing better. It will solve all our problems. ... It's a great time to be alive. Everybody now has the chance to change the world as we know it."
And, concludes Kauffman, "in this new frontier, from the little guys to the big companies, the spirit of invention is alive and well."
And, if you lack the skills to build your own car, not to worry! Car companies such as GM are looking for regular people to test drive hydrogen vehicles they're developing. For more on that, click here.